Five Element Acupuncture works by stimulating your body's natural ability to heal itself.

Acupuncture has been proven to work for a wide variety of physical and emotional problems.

Over millions of years of evolution, our bodies have developed the ability to heal themselves. Sometimes things get stuck though, and they need a little help.

When fine needles are inserted into specific places in the body, changes in the activity of the brain can be observed. This brain activity stimulates the production of hormones which rebalance the functions of the body and mind.

Just as a nerve cells communicate using electricity, acupuncture points also carry a slight electrical current. This is aligned with the ancient Chinese concept of Chi energy - a vital life force that travels in pathways throughout the body.

The World Health Organisation endorses the use of acupuncture for a wide range of conditions including:

backache

headache

migraine

stress

depression

asthma

insomnia

arthritis

irregular or painful periods

high blood pressure

infertility

eczema

chronic fatigue

Five Element Acupuncture treats you, not just your symptoms. Many people experience a greater sense of wellbeing and an enhanced enjoyment of life.

The aim is to restore harmony and balance. As this happens your symptoms will ease.

Everyone is different and the above list is not exhaustive. In order to find out if we think acupuncture may be able to help you, you'll need to come for a free consultation.

In need of a boost?

If you're feeling out of sorts or in need of a boost, you can still get real benefits.

Acupuncture stimulates the production of endorphins and serotonin. These are chemicals in the brain responsible for wellbeing and happiness.

Five Element Acupuncture can help you to feel at your best.

A preventative form of medicine

Treatment can increase your resistance to cold and flu. People find they get ill less often and recover faster.

Stress has become an almost inevitable part of modern life. Five Element Acupuncture can give you resources to prevent stress and its effects on your health.

Instead of obstacles and problems you begin to see possibilities and solutions.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine originating in China. The earliest records of its use date back five thousand years.

Acupuncture was brought to the west in the twentieth century by doctors visiting China. They were amazed to see operations performed on fully conscious patients using acupuncture as an anaesthetic.

Since then, acupuncture's popularity in the west has grown rapidly. Over two million treatments are currently given each year in Britain alone.

According to the ancient Chinese, vital energy (chi) travels through your body along pathways called meridians. When you are in good health the flow of chi is smooth and uninterrupted, but when illness strikes this flow is disturbed.

An acupuncturist works by stimulating precise points along the meridians to restore your flow of chi and return you to full health. Many people actually describe a tingling sensation along the exact pathway of a meridian, without even knowing it exists.

What will treatment involve?

We offer a free initial consultation where you can ask any questions and we can tell you if and how we can help.

Your first treatment session will include a diagnosis. This will allow us to work out the best treatment plan to suit your needs.

We work in a holistic way. This means understanding you as a complex being, as well as your symptoms and your medical history. The focus will be on finding out how we can help you to get the most out of this powerful system of medicine.

You have probably noticed that when you are stressed or overworked you are more likely to become ill. Conversely when you are on top of the world, your health is rarely an issue. For this reason, finding out what makes you thrive, as well as how you can avoid stress is a vital part of the treatment process.

How many treatments will I need?

Everyone responds differently to treatment, but you can usually expect to start seeing improvements within the first five sessions.

If you condition is long standing it will take a few months to cure completely. The aim is for lasting benefit, not just short term improvements.

Initially, you will need to come once a week, with each treatment building on the previous session.

Once your condition has begun to improve the treatments can be spaced out to allow your body's own healing mechanisms to take over. This phase will prevent your symptoms from returning and will ensure a continued improvement.

Soon you will reach the stage where you only need to come a few times a year as a preventative measure. You can continue to use acupuncture in this way to ensure that you maintain optimum health in body and mind.

What will it feel like?

Most people experience no more than a momentary dull ache, followed by a tingling sensation. Both during and after treatment most people describe a feeling of relaxation and invigoration.

Professional and confidential

We abide by strict code of ethics and a code of safe practice.

These rules cover the use of sterile needles and hygiene procedures.

They are approved by the Department of Health and ensure your protection against the transmission of infectious diseases.

We are also bound by strict confidentiality. Anything you tell us during your sessions is completely confidential.

The Five Element system evolved out of a need to understand and interpret the world around us.

Through careful observation, the ancient Chinese saw the cycles of life unfolding

Everything in nature moves in cycles. The cycle of the seasons, the daily cycle of day and night, the menstrual cycle, the circadian rhythms in our bodies, the fluctuating levels of countless chemicals in our bodies, the lunar cycle, the cycle of birth and death where dead plants become food for new growth.

The number Five was found to be particularly useful for describing natural cycles. In every cycle of life you can see Five distinct phases (elements).

The names given to these five elements are:Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water

The clearest way to see the cycle of the Five Elements is to observe the seasons.

Wood corresponds to Spring and the rebirth of life

Fire corresponds to Summer and the maturation of growth

Earth corresponds to the harvest, the coming to fruition

Metal corresponds to Autumn - the letting that makes room for new growth

Water corresponds to Winter - the gestation of the seed of new life

When we observe Springtime we see a powerful upward and outward movement. Young shoots burst through hard ground and seemingly dead branches spring back to life.

In us, this Wood energy manifests in the liver and gallbladder. The liver is actually the organ that is most capable of rejuvenation. Given the right conditions your liver can regrow itself fully even after it has sustained 60% damage.

At the emotional level Wood also gives us the ability to be exuberant and assertive.

When this exuberance becomes blocked, we become frustrated. We lose hope and become directionless and lacking in decisiveness.

Five Element Acupuncture

in Five Element Acupuncture the aim is to find and treat the root cause of the illness

Everyone has a weakness, or Achilles heal, in one of the Five Elements.

When you find and treat that weak area, everything comes back into balance and the symptoms disappear. This is because you can only be as strong as the weakest link in the chain.

If we were to ignore the cause and only treat the symptoms, this may provide short term relief. However, lasting change can only come when the cause of the illness is addressed.

For example, if the Causative Factor is in the Wood element, the focus of treatment will be on strengthening the flow of energy in your Liver and Gallbladder meridians.

This in turn will bring balance and health to all parts of your body and mind.

You will experience less frustration and a sense of exuberance. You will also feel an increased sense of hope in the future and a greater clarity of vision. These are the gifts of the Wood element.

Each of the other elements brings you its own gifts:

Fire offers warmth and joy

Earth gives contentment and stability

Metal offers stillness and serenity

Water brings will-power and adaptability

We are all made up of all five of the elements. The Causative Factor is simply the one that is the weak area.